12 Years of American Pride
by Yoshi's Best Pal
Summary: Middleton National Park plays host to a concert honoring this wonderful country on the twelfth anniversary of its darkest hour. Rated for mild lyrics.
1. Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue

**_12 Years of American Pride_**

DISCLAIMER: All...Actually, the hell with it. You should all know how it is by now.

**Chapter 1: Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue**

Middleton National Park was crammed with people waiting for a show. The advertisements had been going around Colorado for almost a month:

_**Come to Middleton National Park on Wednesday, September 11th,  
**_**_for a day of fun, fellowship, remembrance, and honor of this  
_**_**great country on the twelfth anniversary of what is among the  
darkest moments in U.S. history.**_

_**Featuring performances by multi-platinum recording artists  
Toby Keith and U2, as well as a speech from Middleton's own  
world-renowned teen (super)heroine: the lady and the legend,  
Kimberly Anne Possible!**_

_**Come one, come all! Admission is free!  
There will also be a meet-and-greet after the show!**_

Understandably, all of Middleton was hyped up for it, and when it finally came, Middleton National Park was absolutely flooded with people. They didn't have to wait long before the show was ready to begin. A young man walked out on stage dressed in clothes that just screamed Americana. He went up to the microphone on a stage draped with the country's colors and grabbed said mike.

"What's going down, Middleton?!" he called out. "By a round of applause, how do you feel?!" A huge response from the crowd was his answer.

"That's good to hear," he said. "My name's Luke and I'll be your MC for today's festivities. You all know who's here and what's going on today, right?"

"**Yeah!**" screamed the crowd, which elicited a smile from young Luke.

"Then let's not waste any more time," he declared. "We're gonna start off today with a speech from your hero and mine, everyone's friend: the world-famous cheerleader/planet-saver; you know her, you love her-the lovely and talented Ms. Kim Possible!"

A gorgeous redheaded woman of about 24 with piercingly jade eyes walked out from backstage. She wore a purple, form-fitting T-shirt and classic blue denim jeans. The crowd roared, almost deafeningly so, when they first caught sight of her. She shook Luke's hand and took the mike from him. He walked off to the side of the stage to watch as she walked up towards the stage front.

"Hello, Middleton!" she said with a million-dollar smile. More shouts from the crowd. As they died down, there came a cry from a small group of young girls from the front row: "We love you, Kim!"

"Thank you, ladies," answered Kim with a chuckle. "You're not my type, but I love you, too." The crowd laughed.

"Anyways, you all know why you're here," she reiterated. "Before we get to the performances, I have a few things I'd like to say." The crowd went very quiet.

"Twelve years ago today," she began, "four planes were hijacked by terrorists and crashed into major U.S. landmarks. Two of the planes crashed into New York's World Trade Center towers. One plane crashed into the Pentagon. The last plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a hillside in Shanksville, PA, after some of the passengers tried to retake the plane from the hijackers. In total, 2977 Americans were killed in the space of less than two hours, including 343 of New York's finest firefighters. 6,000 others were injured. It was among the darkest periods in American history."

The crowd was now dead silent as they remembered the events of that day.

"But the night is always darkest," continued Kim, "just before the dawn. And as this country proved on that day, America is never stronger than when tested. We came through as only this country can; hell, we're STILL coming through it. We brought justice to our enemies, and we brought freedom to a nation in crisis. We stood taller than ever, and we still do. But in doing so, we must never forget what happened on that fateful day, or to whom it happened. It is their memory upon which we stand and defend that which we believe in: the unalienable rights which were bestowed upon us by our Creator: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. No, I do not mean the Will Smith movie." The crowd laughed again.

"Joking aside, this country stands for freedom, and it will continue to do so for many years to come. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail, to quote former President George W. Bush. I'd like you all now to join me in a moment of silence to honor not only the lives of those who perished twelve years ago, but also those who have lost their lives in the years since in the fight to defeat world terrorism, as well as those who continue to do so even to this very day." Middleton Park immediately fell dead quiet as they prayed for all the lives that had been involved in the War on Terror, either as a victim or a fighter.

"Thank you all for coming today," resumed Kim after a short while. "We're going to have a great time today, and we're gonna kick it off with Toby Keith!" The crowd erupted as the country superstar entered from stage left.

"He, U2, and I," informed Kim, "will be hanging around after the concert to mingle and meet as many of you as we can. Until then, may God bless you all, and may God continue to bless these United States of America!" She put the microphone back in its stand and shook Keith's hand before walking over towards Luke to watch the show with him.

"Well," said Keith in his characteristic Southern drawl, "normally I'd say a thing or two, but Ms. Possible over there done said it all for me." The crowd chuckled appreciatively.

"So, let's not wait for the grass to grow," he challenged, "let's get to rockin'!" With that, he immediately launched into his most famous post-9/11 hit song:

_American girls and American guys_  
_We'll always stand up and salute, we'll always recognize_  
_When we see Old Glory flying, there's a lot of men dead_  
_So we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our head_

The soft strumming of the acoustic guitar stopped before the song kicked back in:

_My daddy served in the army, where he lost his right eye_  
_But he flew a flag out in our yard till the day that he died_  
_He wanted my mother, my brother, my sister and me_  
_To grow up and live happy in the land of the free_

_Now this nation that I love has fallen under attack_  
_A mighty sucker punch came flying in from somewhere in the back_  
_Soon as we could see clearly through our big black eye_  
_Man, we lit up your world like the Fourth of July_

The crowd jumped to life as the chorus began:

_Hey, Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list_  
_And the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist_  
_And the eagle will fly and there's gonna be hell_  
_When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell_  
_And it'll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you_  
_Oh, brought to you courtesy of the red, white and blue_

A short solo followed before the song slowed down:

_Oh, justice will be served and the battle will rage_  
_This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage_  
_And you'll be sorry that you messed with the U. S. of A._...

Keith let the song hang for a moment here before saying, "Say it loud and proud with me, Middleton." The crowd, Kim and Luke included, happily obliged him:

**_'Cause we'll put a boot in your ass; it's the American way!_**

_Hey, Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list_  
_And the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist_  
_And the eagle will fly and there's gonna be hell_  
_When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell_  
_And it'll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you_  
_Oh, brought to you courtesy of the red, white and blue_

_Oh, oh, of the red, white and blue_  
_Oh, oh, of my red, white and blue_

__The crowd came almost unglued as the song ended.

* * *

A/N: I promised myself I would write a 9/11 concert fic one of these years. Here it is. Hopefully, you all enjoy it.

TBC...

Next: American Soldier


	2. American Soldier

**Chapter**** 2: American Soldier**

"Before I begin my next tune," put in Keith, "I'd like to know if there are any current or former soldiers in this crowd today." He was greeted by a considerable amount of hands raised.

"First of all, thank you so much for what you have done for this country," he said to great applause. "Second, this one's for you." And he began a slow acoustic melody, after which he began singing:

_I'm just trying to be a father_  
_Raise a daughter and a son_  
_Be a lover to their mother_  
_Everything to everyone_  
_Up and at 'em bright and early_  
_I'm all business in my suit_  
_Yeah, I'm dressed for success_  
_From my head down to my boots_

The crowd, having recognized the song, joined in:

_I don't do it for money_  
_There's bills that I can't pay_  
_I don't do it for the glory_  
_I just do it anyway_  
_Providing for our future's my responsibility_  
_Yeah I'm real good under pressure_  
_Being all that I can be_

_And I can't call in sick on Mondays_  
_When the weekend's been too strong_  
_I just work straight through the holidays_  
_And sometimes all night long_  
_You can bet that I stand ready_  
_When the wolf growls at the door_  
_Hey, I'm solid, hey I'm steady_  
_Hey I'm true down to the core_

_And I will always do my duty_  
_No matter what the price_  
_I've counted up the cost_  
_I know the sacrifice_  
_Oh, and I don't want to die for you_  
_But if dying's asked of me_  
_I'll bear that cross with honor_  
_'Cause freedom don't come free_

The full band kicked in as the chorus began:

_I'm an American soldier, an American_  
_Beside my brothers and my sisters_  
_I will proudly take a stand_  
_When liberty's in jeopardy_  
_I will always do what's right_  
_I'm out here on the front lines_  
_Sleep in peace tonight_  
_American soldier_  
_I'm an American soldier_

_Yeah, an American soldier, an American_  
_Beside my brothers and my sisters_  
_I will proudly take a stand_  
_When liberty's in jeopardy_  
_I will always do what's right_  
_I'm out here on the front lines_  
_So sleep in peace tonight_  
_American soldier_  
_I'm an American_  
_An American_  
_An American soldier_

The crowd got louder than ever as the song ended.

"Thank you so much, Middleton," said Keith gratefully. "I'd stick around up here for a little while longer, but this bunch of Irish guys are just chomping at the bit to get up here. I think I better let them; I heard them playing earlier, and I think they're pretty good. Let's bring them out here; ladies and gentlemen, I give you U2!"

The aforementioned band walked out from behind Luke and Kim, led by Bono and The Edge, who shook the hands of Luke, Kim, and Keith, before taking their positions on the stage.

"Hello, Middleton! How goes things today?!" cried Bono into his mike, his Irish brogue lilting over the crowd. The crowd roared in response.

"That's good to hear," he said. "Thank you so much for having us. Before we begin playing, I do have one thing I'd like to point out; on a somewhat related note to what we're here for today." And he began clapping his hands above his head in a slow rhythm. He then informed the audience:

"Every time I clap my hands...a child in Africa dies."

As one, the crowd yelled out:

"**Then stop flippin' clapping your hands!**"

Luckily for them, Bono got the joke. He laughed and motioned to The Edge, who began playing a very familiar rhythm on his keyboard.

* * *

TBC...

Next: Beautiful Day


	3. Beautiful Day

**Chapter**** 3: Beautiful Day**

As The Edge began the melody on his keyboard, the bass drum began keeping partial time. It wasn't long before Bono started the world-famous lyrics:

_The heart is a bloom  
Shoots up through the story ground  
There's no room  
No space to rent in this town_

_You're out of luck  
And the reason that you had to care,  
The traffic is stuck  
And you're not moving anywhere._

_You thought you'd found a friend  
To take you out of this place  
Someone you could lend a hand  
In return for grace_

As the rest of the band kicked in, the song moved to its chorus:

_It's a beautiful day, the sky falls__  
And you feel like it's a beautiful day  
Don't let it get away_

_You're on the road  
But you've got no destination__  
You're in the mud  
In the maze of her imagination_

_You love this town  
Even if that doesn't ring true  
You've been all over  
And it's been all over you_

_It's a beautiful day__  
Don't let it get away  
It's a beautiful day_

_Touch me  
Take me to that other place__  
Teach me love  
I know I'm not a hopeless case_

Here there came a short melodic break before the band moved into the last section of the song:

_See the world in green and blue__  
See China right in front of you  
See the canyons broken by clouds  
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out_

_See the Bedouin fires at night  
See the oil fields at first light  
See the bird with a leaf in her mouth  
After the flood, all the colors came out_

_It was a beautiful day  
Don't let it get away  
A beautiful day_

_Touch me  
Take me to that other place__  
Reach me  
I know I'm not a hopeless case_

_What you don't have, you don't need it now__  
What you don't know, you can feel it somehow  
What you don't have, you don't need it now  
You don't need it now  
_

_It was a beautiful day_

Bono chuckled as the song ended, saying, "Thank you!" into his mike as the crowd roared.

"Be patient with us: we have one last thing to do up here before we all come down to mingle," he reminded the crowd.

Luke, who was standing with Kim off to Bono's right, looked at Kim and said:

"This is starting to feel like their performance during the Super Bowl XXXVI halftime show."

"You total geek," needled Kim with a nudge. "You would remember that."

"Hey, it was the first year the Patriots won the big one," he retorted. "Forty-two years of waiting, all made worth it. Anyways, if their performance from then is any indication, then I think I know what they're going to do next."

Just then, a single note began to sound, and it felt similar to a gospel holding a soft vocalization. At right around the same time, a wide piece of black canvas fell to the stage floor almost like a backdrop. Onto it was projected the date of September 11, 2001, followed by what Luke recognized to be a list of those who had died that day, separated by where they were when they died. The list began with the casualties from American Airlines Flight 11, which had crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

"I was right," he said to Kim. "Never underestimate the power of geekdom."

* * *

A/N: Yes, I'm recreating U2's Super Bowl XXXVI halftime performance. Sue me.

TBC...

Final: MLK/Where The Streets Have No Name


	4. MLKWhere The Streets Have No Name

**Chapter**** 4: MLK/Where The Streets Have No Name**

As the list of casualties began to scroll upwards, The Edge laid down a vocal track matching perfectly with the note that was playing, creating a haunting feel. Bono soon began singing slowly:

_Sleep, sleep tonight_  
_And may your dreams be realized_  
_If the thunder cloud passes rain_  
_So let it rain_  
_Rain down on he_

The Edge then returned to his guitar and began playing a chiming riff that the crowd immediately recognized. They started cheering as Bono let out as scream at the same time that the rest of the band kicked in. Shortly thereafter, he began singing:

_I wanna run, I want to hide  
I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside  
I want to reach out and touch the flame  
Where the streets have no name_

_I want to feel sunlight on my face__  
I see the dust-cloud disappear without a trace  
I want to dance in the Colorado rain  
Where the streets have no name_

The list of names had now reached those lost from American Airlines Flight 77, which had crashed into the Pentagon, when the chorus began:

_Where the streets have no name  
Where the streets have no name  
__We're still building and burning down love__  
Burning down love  
And when we go there  
We go there with you  
It's all we can do_

_The city's a flood and our love turns to rust__  
We're beaten and blown by the wind, trampled in dust  
I'll show you a place where there's no sorrow or pain  
Where the streets have no name_

_Where the streets have no name  
Where the streets have no name  
__We're still building and burning down love  
__Burning down love  
__And when we go there  
__We go there with you  
__It's all we can do_

_Our love turns to rust  
__We're beaten and blown by the wind  
__See our love turn to rust  
__I'll be beaten and blown by the wind_

The band now went quiet, save for Larry Mullen Jr., who began playing a short fill, during which the top of the black canvas detached from its postion atop the stage, billowing towards the floor in a manner that looked eerily similar to the collapsing Twin Towers. The projector, however, did not deactivate, and the names continued to scroll up the back wall of the stage. The crowd roared in approval.

_Love, love, love  
__Love, love, love_

Bono then gave the signal to end the song.

_And when we go there  
__We go there with you  
__It's all we can do__  
_

As the band began the outro, Bono took the left side of his black leather jacket and pulled it away from his body in such a way that it revealed that which was printed on the inside liner: Old Glory herself. The crowd came unglued. As he put the jacket back, he brought his hands in front of his chest and positioned them so that they made the shape of a heart.

"Thank you so much, Middleton!" he called out, and the crowd cheered even more.

"My pal Luke over there-" he indicated Luke- "-has one final thing to say before we all come down there and mingle with you wonderful people. Luke!" And Luke and Kim walked over and shook Bono's hand before Luke took the mike.

"So, by the sound of things, you guys had fun today!" he shouted to the crowd. A cheer of assent was his response.

"That's good to hear, because the fun's not over yet," he informed them. "We've got food, drinks, and a meet-and-greet with everyone you've seen up on this stage today. They'll also be mingling around for the rest of the day. And the best part?" He paused for effect, then cried out:

"IT'S ALL FREE OF CHARGE!" The crowd erupted.

"Thought you might like that," he chuckled. "Anyways, before we go eat, I have one final thing to say, to quote Bono: Former President George W. Bush once said that even grief recedes with time and grace. Indeed it does, but we must never forget the events of that day. For the moment we do is the moment we have failed as a country. Thank you all so much for coming out today and enjoy the refreshments and company. U2, Toby Keith, Kim, and I will be down there joining you very soon, but for the time being, we have to take care of a couple of things. So for now, PEACE!" And he dropped the mike and walked off the stage with Kim.

The rest of the day went off without a hitch. Everyone had a great time.

* * *

A/N: It's been six, almost seven years in the making, but finally, I have a 9/11 story to my credit. Now that you've finished reading it, take time to reflect on how far this country has come in the twelve years since that day. Also, consider leaving a review; I'd highly appreciate it. Whatever the case, thank you for reading. May God bless you all, and may God continue to bless these United States of America.

END


End file.
